Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special BehaviorsAfter several unsuccessful searches at the only known locality for this species over a ten-year period, Craugastor chrysozetetes is now presumed to be extinct. It should also be noted that this species was always extremely rare. Craugastor chrysozetetes is thought to have been a direct developing species, like others in the genus Craugastor (Stuart et al. 2008).

Trends and ThreatsChytridiomycosis and habitat loss are the main factors thought to have contributed to the extinction of this species. In addition to Craugastor chrysozetetes, all Honduran streamside Craugastor populations located above 900 meters have disappeared, consistent with chytridiomycosis. Habitat loss due to landslides and deforestation is also likely to have impacted this species. C. chrysozetetes was not recorded from within any protected areas but did occur at the edge of Parque Nacional Pico Bonito (Stuart et al. 2008).

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

General habitat alteration and lossHabitat modification from deforestation, or logging related activitiesDisease

CommentsThe specific epithet is taken from the Greek word chrysos, meaning
"gold", and zetetes, meaning "searcher". The type locality is along the
Quebrada de Oro (Stream of Gold) (McCranie et al. 1989).
Feared to be EXTINCT! From McCranie JR 2018 Herpetologica
74: 169-180. From P. 173:
"Three of the Honduran endemic species
described from the Quebrada de Oro region are feared
extinct—Atelophryniscus chrysophorus McCranie, Wilson,
and Williams (also, see McCranie 2017), Craugastor
chrysozetetes (McCranie, Savage, and Wilson), and C. cruzi
(McCranie, Savage, and Wilson). Two others described
from the Quebrada de Oro area are feared to have been
extirpated from that region—C. fecundus (McCranie and
Wilson) and Plectrohyla chrysopleura (Wilson, McCranie,
and Williams). These scenarios do not bode well for the
long-term persistence of C. castanedai in PBNP, the only
known locality for that taxon."

References

McCranie, J. R., Savage, J., and Wilson, L. D. (1989). ''Description of two new species of the Eleutherodactylus milesi group (Amphibia: Anura: Leptodactylidae) from northern Honduras.'' Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 102, 483-490.